1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to cassette-type recording and/or reproducing apparatus, for example, for recording and reproducing video signals on a magnetic tape which is wound on and extends between supply and take-up reels rotatable within a cassette housing, and more particularly is directed to an improved cassette holding device for such apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In existing cassette-type video recording and/or reproducing apparatus, for example, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,833,921, issued Sept. 3, 1974, and having a common assignee herewith, a tape loading and unloading device is provided with one or more tape engaging members which, with the cassette disposed in an operative position thereof, project upwardly through an opening in the cassette housing for engagement with a run of the tape extending between the reels within the tape housing, whereupon the tape loading and unloading device may be operated to withdraw tape from the cassette housing and to guide the withdrawn tape into engagement with a portion of the periphery of a guide drum for recording or reproducing of video signals on such tape by one or more rotary magnetic heads associated with the drum. Further, in the operative position of the cassette, the cassette housing is precisely located by locating posts extending from a chassis of the apparatus and being engageable from below with the cassette housing, and reel support and drive members extending rotatably above the chassis project upwardly into respective sockets provided in the supply and take-up reels of the operatively positioned cassette. For the sake of convenience, recording and/or reproducing apparatus of the described type usually further includes a cassette holding device having a cassette holder which is movably mounted in respect to the chassis so as to be displaceable between an elevated position in which the cassette can be conveniently received in, or discharged from the holder, and a lowered or operative position in which the cassette housing and reels are engaged by the locating posts and reel support and drive members, respectively, and the tape engaging members of the tape loading and unloading device extend upwardly into the opening of the cassette housing.
It will be apparent that, in order to ensure proper engagement of the locating posts with the underside of the cassette housing and of the reel support and drive members in the respective sockets of the supply and take-up reels, and further to ensure that the tape engaging members of the tape loading and unloading device properly enter the opening of the cassette housing, at least the final movement of the cassette toward its operative position should be substantially vertical, that is, substantial perpendicular to the plane of the chassis, with the cassette housing being maintained substantially horizontal, that is, in substantially parallel orientation in respect to the chassis plane, during such final movement to the operative position. If the cassette holder is merely pivotally mounted for swinging movement between its elevated or cassette receiving and discharging position and the operative or lowered position, the desired direction of the final movement of the cassette to its operative position and the desired orientation of the cassette housing during such final movement cannot be even approximately achieved unless the pivoting axis for the holder is offset a relatively large distance with respect to the holder, for example, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,833,921. In that case, relatively long support arms extend from the opposite sides of the cassette holder to the pivoting axis and, in order to avoid interference with the tape loading and unloading device, the pivoting axis has to be disposed in front of the holder, that is, in the direction away from the tape loading device and the tape guide drum. With such positioning of the pivoting axis for the cassette holder, the latter, in its elevated position, is tilted downwardly at the front, and such tilted position is not conducive to the sliding of a cassette into and out of the cassette holder through an opening at the front of the latter.
In another existing recording and/or reproducing apparatus of the described type, the cassette holding device includes a cassette holder which is mounted for vertical movement between its elevated operative positions, with the holder being maintained substantially horizontal throughout such movement. Such mounting of the holder is effected by means of a lever assembly at each of its sides made up of a pair of criss-crossing levers of substantially equal length which are pivotally connected at their centers, and which have their upper and lower ends pivotally and slidably connected to the holder and to the chassis, respectively. Further, in such cassette holding device, vertical guide rails are provided at the opposite sides of the holder and engaged by followers on the latter for assuring the vertical movement of the holder while the cassette housing retained in the holder is held horizontally. The foregoing cassette holding device is relatively disadvantageous in that the described mechanisms for movably mounting the cassette holder in respect to the chassis are complex, and further in that the cassette holder, in its elevated position, is disposed horizontally and thus is not ideally disposed for slidably receiving or discharging a cassette through an opening at the front of the holder. In this connection, it should be noted that the ideal disposition of the cassette holder in its elevated position is one in which the cassette holder is tilted downwardly from an opening at the front thereof so that a cassette can be conveniently inserted or removed slidably through such opening at the front of the elevated cassette holder.